Comments for Text & Texture

Comment on Parashat Tazria: Explaining Tzora’at From the Perspective of the Book of Job by Yaakov Bieler by Adderall

Adderall — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:54:26 +0000

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Comment on Final Exam in Jewish Philosophy of Dr. Joseph Soloveitchik, 1936 by J. Gilmour

J. Gilmour — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:04:40 +0000

“a bizzare guest lecture the Rav delivered at the 1937 chag ha-semikhah, in which he disparages the school’s ideal of synthesis”

This lecture was in 1956.

Comment on Avraham: Proactive Monotheist by Yaakov Bieler by joe barnathan

joe barnathan — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:23:20 +0000

Hashem revealed himself to Abraham for the first time in Ur Casdim. the Torah records abraham’s brother “Nachor died in the land of his birth in Ur Casdim” the Torah states that Terach took his son Abraham and his grandson lot and his daughter in law Sarai and left ur-casdim traveling to Canaan. the torah also states they stopped in Haran If You say that Hashem revealed himself to Abraham in Haran then you must say that Abraham was going to Canaan anyway at the request of his father.
the Torah State in LechLecha go from Your land the land of your birth the simple understanding is if haran was born in ur-casdim so was Abraham. when the torah States thatTterach Took Abraham,lot And Sarai out of Ur Casdim the Torah should have read Abraham took Terach out of Ur-casdim But that would be disrespectful if the torah records that the son led the father. Now the Question is when did hashem reveal to Abraham the torah states in Parashat Bo that we lived in Egypt for 430 years if we count from the time he left haran it is only 425 years i assume that Hashem revealed himself to Abraham when Abraham was 70 years old in Ur casdim when they arrived in haran terach was to old to continue the journey so Abraham Stayed with His elderly Father for 5 years before continuing on his journey

Comment on The Unknown Miracle of Chanukah by Jeffrey R. Woolf by Shalom Spira

Shalom Spira — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:18:02 +0000

I congratulate Mori ve-Rebbi R. Woolf, shlit”a, on his illuminating exposition. I had the privilege to be taught by R. Woolf at the Azrieli Graduate School in New York, when he served as a visiting professor in summer 2004, and so I am proud to consider myself a disciple.

With the kind permission of Mori ve-Rebbi R. Woolf, I offer two observations:

(1) R. Ovadiah Yosef, in Teshuvot Yabi’a Omer I, OC no. 41, prohibits (for Sefaradim) the possibility of ladies reciting a blessing over the lulav, despite prophetic directive to do so in Shu”t Min ha-Shamayim, based on the gemara in Temurah 16a. Thus, R. Yosef does not seem to believe that prophecy can render a halakhic decision.

R. Woolf, though, does formulate a fascinating argument against Yabi’a Omer based on the episode in Zechariah. I would suggest (ke-talmid ha-yoshev ba-karka ve-dan lifnei Rabbotav) on behalf of R. Yosef that perhaps the 4 fasts represent a mitzvah mi-divrei kabbalah, where the prophets themselves (in this case Zechariah) ordained the mitzvah, as per the gemara in Rosh ha-Shanah 19a.

(2) The gemara in Shabbat 23a asks how we can say “ve-tzivanu” regarding the kindling of Chanukah candles. The answer is there is a mitzvah in the Torah to heed the Sanhedrin. Thus, indirectly, divine license did exist to ordain the holiday of Chanukah, since it was legislated by the Sanhedrin.

Although not explicitly raised by R. Woolf, I think an important issue he implicitly raises is whether we should regard ourselves today as enjoying the same level of authority as the Sages of the Sanhedrin. This will seemingly hinge upon the essay “Paralysis in Contemporary Halakhah?” of R. Daniel Sperber, shlit”a.

Comment on The Unknown Miracle of Chanukah by Jeffrey R. Woolf by Interview with Israel Knohl on Miracles in the Bible « Menachem Mendel

Interview with Israel Knohl on Miracles in the Bible « Menachem Mendel — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:38:08 +0000

[...] in the overuse of miracles in Jewish belief and the attribution of this or that action to God. See this recent post by Jeffrey Woolf on the need to rethink what was the most important miracle of [...]

Comment on Halakha and Kabbalah: Rabbi Joseph Karo’s Shulchan Aruch and Magid Mesharim by Shlomo Brody by RRW

RRW — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:07:04 +0000

RYK presents the matter of Tefillin on Chol Hamoed as more or less a 50-50 proposition. The Zohar is to RYK just a machria. This read can be buttressed by the way the Be’er Hagolah treats the source texts

Comment on Halakha and Kabbalah: Rabbi Joseph Karo’s Shulchan Aruch and Magid Mesharim by Shlomo Brody by Jeffrey Woolf

Jeffrey Woolf — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:14:44 +0000

My congratulations to Rabbi Brody on a well-written, well-researched and thoughtful analysis of a thorny issue. I would, however, like to add one demurral.

1)The halakhic weight that RYK gives the Zohar is, IMHO, much greater than might emerge from Rabbi Brody’s analysis. Consider the question of Tefillin on Hol ha-Mo’ed. The matter is a point of contention between the Yerushalmi (that one does) and the Bavli (that leaves the point moot). The general rule is that in the case of an open question in the Bavli, and a clear decision in the Yerushalmi, one follows the Yerushalmi. Yet, here, RYK asserts (following his uncle, R. Isaac Karo cited in Resp Bet Yosef, appendix I) that in the case of an open discussion in the Bavli and a clear decision in the Zohar, we follow the Zohar (and do not put them on). IOW, RYK accepts his uncle’s tradition that the authority of the Zohar trumps that of the Yerushalmi.

Comment on Halakha and Kabbalah: Rabbi Joseph Karo’s Shulchan Aruch and Magid Mesharim by Shlomo Brody by Rabbi Joseph Karo and the Kabbalah « Menachem Mendel

Rabbi Joseph Karo and the Kabbalah « Menachem Mendel — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:26:41 +0000

[...] Text and Texture Rabbi Shlomo Brody has a very nice post about “Rabbi Joseph Karo’s Shulchan Aruch and Magid Mesharim.” (hat [...]

Comment on Who Can Serve as Kashrut Supervisors? The Model of Kuthim by Aryeh Klapper by Gedalia Walls

Gedalia Walls — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:25:09 +0000

I don’t understand your comparison of Kuthim to non-Shomer Shabbes. At the stage in the gemara you discuss, Kuthim were assumed to be relatively observant. The gemara concludes that they actually worship a dove on Har Gerizim. This is clearly accepted as halakha in YD 2:8 and Taz #11 mentions the transition of Kuthim, and the issue of idol worshipers along with Sabbath violators is discussed earlier in siman 5. A non-Shomer Shabbes is explicitly excluded from testimony on financial matters and could not complete a kosher shechitah even with someone standing over him and checking his knife.

Comment on Who Can Serve as Kashrut Supervisors? The Model of Kuthim by Aryeh Klapper by Gil Student

Gil Student — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:25:12 +0000

Sorry I just saw the final footnote where this is discussed.